June 20, 2008 – Commissioner of Tourism Beverly Nicholson-Doty was honored as an Outstanding Woman in Travel by the Association of Travel Marketing Executives (ATME) during the 2008 ATME Travel Marketing Conference in Las Vegas on June 12. Nicholson-Doty was presented with the organization's prestigious Atlas Award by American Airlines for her exceptional tourism marketing efforts since her appointment to office in March 2007.
"I feel privileged to be acknowledged among such an esteemed group of tourism leaders," said Nicholson-Doty. "I am proud of the accomplishments the Department of Tourism has made in such a short period of time, and we will continue to strive for excellence in marketing the U.S. Virgin Islands in the months and years to come."
Previous Atlas Awards winners include casino resort developer Steve Wynn, casino resort developer; Ted Turner, media mogul; Robert Crandall, former president and chairman of American Airlines; and Bob Dickinson, former president and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines.
Hugh Riley, director of marketing for the Caribbean Tourism Organization, on June 24, will formally present the award to the commissioner during the Allied Luncheon and Awards Presentation as a part of the Annual Caribbean Tourism Summit in Washington, D.C.
As commissioner of tourism, Nicholson-Doty oversees the department's advertising and marketing plans, national and international tourism-related efforts and product development. Prior to her appointment as commissioner, Nicholson-Doty was named president of the USVI Hotel & Tourism Association in 2004, after working for the organization as the executive director for over a decade. She also served for three consecutive terms as vice president of the Caribbean Society of Hotel Association Executives, elected by her counterparts in the Caribbean region.
The ATME Atlas awards recognize executives and companies for innovative tactics, results-oriented programs and broad marketing vision. For more information about ATME and the Atlas Awards, visit www.atme.org.